Adaptive Bitrate Controller Using PID Response Delay
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Solution Overview
Problem
Adaptive BitRate (ABR) algorithms in peer-to-peer streaming contexts face challenges in controlling quality transitions, leading to unstable oscillations and interruptions, as they were designed for simple streaming scenarios and struggle with pre-fetching in peer-to-peer networks, causing uncontrolled quality increases beyond network capacity.
Innovation Solution
A method using a closed-loop controller, specifically a proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller, to determine an optimal response delay for segment delivery, allowing seamless quality level transitions by minimizing the difference between current and target quality levels, thereby stabilizing the streaming process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If ABR algorithms are used in peer-to-peer streaming with pre-fetching, then quality can be increased, but quality oscillations and streaming interruptions occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the system monitors the actual quality level delivered to the player and uses this information to adjust future segment delivery decisions. The response delay mechanism creates a feedback loop that allows the system to observe the effect of quality changes before making further adjustments, preventing uncontrolled oscillations and maintaining streaming stability while still enabling quality improvements when network capacity permits.
2Reliability
If response delay is increased to control quality transitions, then quality oscillations are reduced, but streaming latency increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamic adjustment of the response delay parameter based on current network conditions and quality transition requirements. Rather than using a fixed delay, the system adapts the response delay duration to match the specific transition scenario, minimizing the time penalty while still achieving stable quality control. This dynamic approach allows the system to use shorter delays when possible and longer delays only when necessary for stability.
3Adaptability or versatility
If ABR algorithms make frequent quality adjustments, then quality can adapt to network conditions, but unnecessary server requests increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses pre-fetching of video segments into the buffer before they are actually requested by the player. By having segments readily available in the buffer, the system can satisfy quality change requests without needing to make immediate server requests. This preliminary action reduces the frequency of server communications while maintaining the ability to adapt quality to network conditions, as the buffer acts as a reservoir that can be drawn from during quality transitions.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a method for playing on a player of a client device a content streamed in a network, including:(a) receiving from the player a request for a current segment at a first quality level;(b) determining, using a closed loop controller minimizing a difference between a first quality level and a setpoint second quality level, an optimal response delay for providing the requested current segment; and(c) providing the requested current segment from a first buffer at the expiration of said estimated optimal response delay.